Getting Started with

Workforce Timekeeper
A Guide for Managers

A guide for managers that summarizes the most

common manager tasks, which include using
Workforce Genies, Timecards, and Reports.

Kronos Workforce Central Suite

Version 6

Document Part Number: 4703944-001

Document Revision: A

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thereof may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of Kronos
Incorporated. All rights reserved. Copyright 2007.
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Document Revision History
Document Revision

Product Version

Release Date

Workforce Timekeeper 6.0

June 2007

Contents

Using Workforce Timekeeper ...................................................

Logging on and off ...............................................................
Navigation............................................................................
The manager home page ....................................................

5
5
6
6

Timekeeping cycle overview .................................................... 8

Finding and acting on employee data ..................................... 9
Saving data.......................................................................... 9
Finding employees using QuickFind.................................... 9
Acting on employee data in Genies ..................................... 9
Working from Genies ......................................................... 10
Navigating to other components ........................................ 11
Managing timecards................................................................
About calculating and displaying totals..............................
Types of timecards ............................................................
Timecard indicators and colors..........................................
Common timecard tasks ....................................................
Entering paid time off.........................................................
Transferring time................................................................
Approving and signing off timecards..................................
Sending e-mail about timecards ........................................

12
12
12
13
14
15
15
16
17

Group editing ........................................................................... 19

When employees have questions...................................... 20
When you have questions ................................................. 21
Automating vacation bidding ................................................. 22
Creating bid requests......................................................... 22
Creating bid groups ........................................................... 23
Using the Inbox .......................................................................
Opening messages............................................................
Sending messages ............................................................
Replying to messages .......................................................
Deleting messages ............................................................
Printing messages .............................................................
Completing assigned tasks................................................
Reassigning assigned tasks ..............................................
3

25
25
25
25
26
26
26
26

Using the Actions list .............................................................. 27

Managing time using calendars ............................................. 28
Using the Work & Absence Summary ............................... 28
Generating reports ..................................................................
Available reports ................................................................
Running reports .................................................................
Accessing reports using Genies ........................................
Printing reports ..................................................................

29
29
30
32
32

Delegating authority ................................................................

Enabling and requesting a delegation of authority.............
Canceling or deleting delegation requests.........................
Responding to requests .....................................................
Switching roles...................................................................

33
33
34
34
35

Using Workforce Timekeeper

Using Workforce Timekeeper

Kronos Workforce Timekeeper is the foundation of the time and labor
management capability of the Kronos Workforce Central suite of products.
This guide is an introduction to the standard manager tasks. Managers enter,
review, edit, and approve the time that employees spend in job-related activities.
Managers then use the system data to generate reports and transfer time
information to the employers payroll system.
Responsibilities and access from manager to manager may differ. In addition, the
employer may have applied specific colors, logos, or names for some features.
Therefore, your manager view might display more or fewer elements than the
default functions that are described in this guide.
Managers who have administrative or configuration responsibilities that are not
described in this guide should refer to the Workforce Central System
Administrators GuideTimekeeping for details. The system administrator can
advise you on customization of the default configuration.

Logging on and off

Using the log on instructions that are supplied by the system administrator, enter
the Web address (URL) for your home page in the browser address or location
field.
Caution: Logging on opens a session. Do not log on to the same server while a
session is open, through another browser instance or through a browsers tabbed
window. Multiple sessions running on the same server can affect the accuracy of
employee data and totals.
Your home page is based on:
The employers time and attendance policies, for example, whether the
timecard is prepopulated with schedules shifts
The individual managers access to functions and information, for example,
whether a manager can also view other managers employees
After working in a session, log off using the Log Off link. Logging off assures that
non-authorized users cannot view your information or use your system.

Logon time limit

The system notifies users are logged on but who have not interacting with the
system for a period of time. To continue the session, re-enter the password and
click Log On.

Using Workforce Timekeeper

Navigation
Employers have the option of customizing the application. However, navigation
does not change from page to page. On any page you may see the following
elements:
Tab menusContain drop-down lists of related components. Click the tab menu
to view the options. Selecting an option opens the workspace, such as the
Timecard workspace.
Managers with administrative access, may see additional tab menus that do not
appear on the screen. Use the navigational arrows to rotate through the complete
list of tab menus. Arrows open the first, last, previous, or next tab menu.
Quick LinksUnderlined text on a workspace that open another component or
page, such as the Timecard, Schedule, or Reports. Depending on a managers
responsibilities, other links may be displayed as well.
Utility linksLocated on the top right of all pages. Use these links for the
following functions:
Returning to your home page
Logging off the current session
Changing your password
Opening context-sensitive help for the current workspace
Opening the Setup workspace, if you have administrator access to
configure and customize the application.
Action menusDrop-down lists of functions that apply to the data on the current
workspace. Selecting an item may complete a task, open a dialog box, or display
a message that assists you with the work.

The manager home page

The home page contains links to the functionality and information required by a
manager. Because the view that appears is based on a managers role and
responsibilities, different managers in the same group can have different views or
access to functions.
For example, you might be able to view some reports, but not be able to generate
new reports on the same data. Individual managers may have links to other
applications, such as scheduling activities, or administrator functions.
Menus that typically appear on a managers home page include links to other
components or links to Workforce Genies. Genies are specialized pages of
information where the manager can search for employees or act on data
associated with the employee. Any of the following tab menus may appear on the
home page:

Using Workforce Timekeeper

GeneralLinks to commonly used functions, such as Reports, Inbox, and
Actions.
My GeniesLinks to the collection of Genie workspaces that assist
managers in finding employee information quickly, such as QuickFind.
Working from a Genie enables managers to act on employee information
from Quick Links. Because Genies are configurable, they may appear
differently or have different names than described here. The system
administrator can provide information specific to the employer.
TimekeepingLinks to features associated with employee time and
attendance and timekeeping Genies, such as Pay Period Close.
My InformationLinks to the components that you need to manage your
own time, such as My Timecard, My Time Stamp, and My Earnings History.
My LinksLinks that a company may provide for its employees, such as
the weather or a company Web site.

Timekeeping cycle overview

Timekeeping cycle overview

Employee and manager timekeeping tasks are generally performed in the
following order.
Employee

Manager

1. Completes timecard
2. Approves own timecard
3.

Manages timecards
Finds employees
Reviews data
Edits employee data
Transfers time
Performs group edits

4. Approves timecards
5. Signs-off timecards
6. Reviews and adjusts shifts
7. Analyzes data and trends
in reports
8. Requests vacation bids
9. Bids on vacation
10. Approves vacation bids
11. Reads messages and assigns
automated tasks
12. Performs actions in response
to tasks
13. Responds to tasks

Managers may also have access to:

Delegate Authority, where you select delegates to stand in for you, or you
agree to be a delegate for another manager. Refer to the sections beginning
with Delegating authority on page 33.

Finding and acting on employee data

Finding and acting on employee

data
Managers work from a list of their employees to apply time and scheduling tasks.
You can populate the employee list in several ways:
Use QuickFind, a rapid response search tool that is ideal for finding specific
employees by name or ID.
Work in a Genie, where you can display a summary of employee data for
your employees.
From either of these views, managers can:
Select tasks from the menu to bar perform tasks on employee data.
Navigate to other components, such as Timecards or Reports.

Saving data
The system uses the color orange and an asterisk (*) following the title to identify
data that has been changed but not saved.

Finding employees using QuickFind

Use QuickFind to search for employees by either name or ID. Then use the Action
menu to select an action that applies to the selected employees. To search using
QuickFind:
1. In the Name or ID field, enter a search option. For example:
Enter b to display employees whose surnames begin with B.
Enter an ID number or range to display employees by employee ID, such
as 34* for employees whose IDs begin with 34. Using a single wildcard,
such as the asterisk (*), is not recommended.
2. When the system returns the requested information, select the employees
for whom the task is being performed.
To select one employee, click on the employee row.
To select multiple employees, hold down the Ctrl or Shift key and select
multiple employee names using the mouse.
To select the full list, use Select All from the Actions.
3. Select an action from one of the menus on the workspace. To review the
complete list of possible actions, refer to the section Group editing on
page 19.

Acting on employee data in Genies

Genies present summary information organized by employee name. Only
employees in the managers employee group appear in these views. The view
can be expanded to include employees who transfer in temporarily. The Genie is
9

Finding and acting on employee data

the starting point for editing timecards, generating reports, adjusting schedules, or
proceeding to more complex tasks.
Managers may see any of the following views:
Reconcile TimecardLists unexcused absences, missed punches,
overtime, and other time irregularities for the employees.
Pay Code SummaryOrganizes the total amount of time charged to
various pay codes by the employees.
Shift Start and Shift CloseShows who is currently working, based on the
shift start and close times.
Check OvertimeSummarizes the types of overtime charged by the
employees.
Pay Period CloseShows the status of employee timecard approvals,
time irregularities, and total hours for the managers employees.
IS SummaryLists employee information such as home account, user
name, email address, badge number, and manager name.
Your company may have created specific views. The system administrator can
provide more information.

Working from Genies

To find employees through a Genie and perform a task:
1. Search for the employees using a query from the Show drop-down list:
All Home displays the managers own employee group.
All Home and Transferred In also displays other employees who worked
in the managers area. The transferred employee and does not report to
the manager, but works in the managers area temporarily.
All Home and Scheduled In also display employees who were scheduled into a job that is overseen by the manager; the scheduled-in
employee does not report to the manager.
2. Select the employee(s).
To select one employee, click on the employee row.
To select multiple employees, hold down the Ctrl or Shift key and use the
mouse to select multiple employee names.
To select the full list, choose Select All from the Actions drop-down list.
3. Select a time frame or specific date from the Time Period drop-down, for
example, Current Pay Period, Today, or a specific date.
4. Click Apply.
5. From the Actions drop-down list shown in the previous table, select an
action.

10

Finding and acting on employee data

Navigating to other components

Managers can view the timecards or run reports on the selected employees from
either Quickfind or Genie employee lists.
To open the selected employee timecards, click the Timecard Quick Link.
Then select a time period, such as Current Pay Period or Today.
To run reports, click the Reports Quick Link. Then select the report.
To view the Schedule Editor, click the Schedule Quick Link.
To add a new person, click the People Quick Link and edit the employees
information.
Other Quick Links that might appear on the page:
Advanced ReportsAppears when you have access to custom reports or
more complex reporting features
Switch RolesAppears for delegates who stand in for others will be able
to switch between their views and their delegated views
MoreAppears when additional links are provided, based on your role.

11

Managing timecards

Managing timecards
As a manager, you can review, edit, or approve the timecards of the employees
who report to you. You can access one or more timecards at the same time.
To open an employees timecard from a Workforce Genie, double-click the
employees name. When the employees timecard appears, select the time period
you are reviewing from the Time Period drop-down list.

About calculating and displaying totals

When managers or employees edit a timecard, the edits are calculated and sent
to a respository database. In most cases, managers do not interact with the
calculation process. However, understanding how totals are calculated can help
you interpret displayed totals or answer questions from employees.
The most accurate totals are processed in the background. A processor
calculates data at specified intervals using available employee data and applies
the correct work rules and pay policies. The calculation ensures that pay rules are
applied automatically and consistently across an organization. These are the
totals that will be used for payroll.
For more immediate results, use the following options:
Edit the timecard, save the results, and click Refresh. Organizations might
use the auto-totalize feature, where entries are totaled automatically when
you move to another row.
From the Actions menu, select Calculate Totals. Totals are stored
temporarily for display until the background processor calculates the final
totals and replaces the stored totals in the timecard display.

Types of timecards
Depending on the companys requirements, employees enter time using one of
the following methods:
Hourly timecardA timecard with an hourly view that displays an
employees start and stop times each day.
Project timecardA timecard with a project view that displays an
employees total number of hours each day, organized by labor accounts.
Time StampA simplified timecard with daily punches in and out;
employees use the timestamp and the manager monitors the weekly
timecard.
Entering time off in an hourly timecard is different from entering time off in a
project timecard. In an hourly timecard, enter the amount of time not worked in the
Amount column instead of entering separate in- and out-punches for the time not
worked. Note that you cannot have punches in the same row as amounts. Add a
row by clicking the Add Row icon.
12

Managing timecards
To enter time in an hourly timecard:
1. Click the down arrow in the Pay Code column, and select the appropriate
time-off pay code from the drop-down list.
2. Enter the number of hours in the Amount column.
3. Click Save.
To enter time off in a project timecard:
1. Click the down arrow in the Pay Code column, and select the appropriate
time-off pay code from the drop-down list.
2. Enter the number of hours in the applicable date column.
3. Click Save.

Timecard indicators and colors

The appearance of the timecard cells changes to indicate different conditions.
Orange on the workspace title, followed by an asterisk (*), or on a tab title
indicates that data has changed but has not been saved.
A yellow note icon after a punch or amount indicates a comment about the
cells contents. Point to the icon or select the Comments tab at the bottom of
the timecard workspace to view the comment.
A solid red cell indicates a missed in-punch or out-punch. Point to the red
box for more information.
A cell bordered in red indicates an exception, such as a late punch, early
punch, or long interval. Point to the cell for more information.
A cell bordered in red and containing a yellow note icon indicates that a
punch or amount has a comment and an exception.
A date cell bordered in red indicates an unexcited absence day.
A date cell bordered in blue indicates an excused absence.
A gray cell indicates that you cannot edit the contents.
A transaction shown in purple indicates that it was added to the database by
the system.
A yellow flag next to the Save button indicates that edits have not been
saved in the database.
A red flag in the Totals & Schedule tab indicates that edits have not yet been
totaled and stored in the database. For details, click the Unprocessed Time
tab, if available.
An x before an account in the Totals section at the bottom of the timecard
indicates that the account is not the primary labor account.
Position the cursor over the employee name to display the employees pay rule,
primary account or job, and standard working hours.

13

Managing timecards

Common timecard tasks

Some of the tasks that you can perform on employee timecards include:

Task

Procedure

Add a comment to a
timecard

Click a pay code, punch, or amount, then select

Comments. Select a comment to apply to the pay code,
punch, or amount.

Add a row

Select the Add Row icon

Approve a timecard

Select Approve. A message then appears, indicating the

time period and approval managers name.
See Approving and signing off timecards on page 16 for
more information.

Cancel edits

Click the Refresh button. The system returns information

as it appears in the database. Any edits that you made
but did not save are lost. If you saved your edits, you
cannot cancel them.

Edit a pay code or

punch

Enter the correct time or amount directly in the cell, or

select an option from the drop-down list.

Print a timecard

Click the Print button on the browser toolbar.

Save a timecard after

editing

To save your edits, click Save. The system responds

based on your access rights:
If you have the access rights to totalize, the system
refreshes the screen with totalized information, the
red flag disappears, and a timestamp and message
appear, Timecard successfully saved.
If you do not have the access rights to totalize, the
system saves the edits but does not refresh the
screen (the red flag remains visible). The edits are
processed the next time that the Background Processor is scheduled to totalize edits.

Transfer time

Click on the Transfer column and enter the job or labor

account or use the search icon to select the job or
account. Select Primary Account if the change is back to
this account from a transfer account. Change the Work
Rule if applicable. Then click OK.

Sign off timecards

For managers with access, select Sign-Off.

View totals

Select the time period and then select Totals Summary.

14

Managing timecards

Entering paid time off

Most employees will enter their own worked hours and paid time off. However,
some managers do this occasionally, or need to edit the timecards to specify
appropriate pay codes, amounts, or adjust schedules.
When you first open a timecard, it may contain entries from a schedule, or
punches from a data collection device or Time Stamp.
The following terms are frequently used in timecard management tasks:
pay codeA category used to organize time or money such as overtime or
bonus. Can also reflect nonproductive time such as vacation or sick time.
shiftA span of time that has a start and end time, usually in one 24-hour period.
For example, 7 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.
transferHours or amounts transferred to a different job, work rule, or labor
account.
work ruleA combination of parameters that apply to a shift and determine how
employee hours accrue. These parameters define bonuses, breaks, overtime,
and so on.
To enter time off, such as sick or vacation time, enter a pay code and the amount
of time offin decimal format (8.50) or hours and minutes (8:30).

Note: You must insert a decimal point between hours and fractions of hours, and
a colon between hours and minutes.

Transferring time
Depending on your access rights, you may be able to transfer an employees time
to a different job, labor account, or work rule in the timecard.
Although you can enter the job, labor account, or work rule to which you want to
transfer directly in the cell, you can also search for the account or job information
by clicking the add row icon in the Transfer column and then selecting Search
from the drop-down list. The Select Transfer dialog box appears:
To transfer to a different labor account:
1. Click an option button in the Labor Account area to select the first labor
level in the list of labor levels that you need in order to define the labor
account.
2. Select the entry from the Available Entries.
3. Continue to select entries for the labor levels until the labor account is
defined. If you leave some labor levels blank, the primary labor account is
used for the blank levels.

15

Managing timecards
To transfer to a different job:
1. Click the plus sign (+) next to each location in the hierarchy of the Job area
until you see the job that you want.
2. Click the box next to the job so that a check appears.
3. If you know the job path, you can type it in Go To and click Show.
To transfer to a different work rule, select a work rule from the drop-down list. The
selected labor account or work rule then appears in the timecard.

Approving overtime
Depending on how the Workforce Timekeeper system is configured, you might
have the option of approving or not approving overtime charged by employees.
This should be done on a daily basis.
To approve overtime, select Approve Overtime from the Approve menu on the
employees timecard. The Approve Overtime dialog box appears, in which you
approve all overtime, no overtime, or some overtime for the date selected.
Note: Overtime can be approved in advance of it being worked. For example, a
manager can approve overtime on a Friday for work that will be done on a
Saturday.

Approving and signing off timecards

Approving a timecard forwards the information to next approver or to payroll.
Approval may occur daily or at regular intervals, depending on company policy.
Signing off a timecard prevents further edits to the timecard. Typically, one
manager is granted the right to sign off timecards before submitting them to your
payroll system; employees do not have sign-off rights.
Systems are configured so that managers cannot sign off employee timecards
that have missing punches, unexcused absences, or no hours in a specified pay
code.
After you sign off data, you might be able to remove the sign-off if you need to
make edits. Note that Sign Off and Remove Sign-off are separate access rights. If
you do not see the Sign Off or Remove Sign-off options in your Approvals menu,
you are not authorized to use them.

Approving timecards
Employers have an approval process in which managers must approve timecards
by a specified deadline, based on company policies. For example:
After timecards are signed-off, managers cannot make additional edits once
the deadline is passed.

16

Managing timecards
Higher-level managers might be able to change timecards that are
approved or signed-off.
In general, only a timekeeping administrator can change a signed-off
timecard.
Approvals and sign-offs are recorded in the Audits tab and Sign-offs & Approvals
section of the timecard.
To approve a timecard:
1. Select the employee from one of the Workforce Genies and click the Timecard link.
2. In the timecard, select the a pay period or a range of dates from the Time
Period drop-down list.
3. Select Approve.
To approve a group of timecards, see Group editing on page 19.
Note: If you previously approved some, but not all, of the days in a specified
timeframe, and you run the approval process again, the remaining days will be
approved.

Signing off timecards

Signing off a timecard prevents further edits to the timecard. Typically, one
manager is granted the right to sign off timecards before submitting them to the
employers payroll system; employees do not have sign-off rights.
The process for signing off a timecard is the same as for approval. Select
Approvals > Sign Off.
Some systems are configured so that you cannot sign off employee timecards if
they have missing punches, unexcused absences, or no hours in a specified pay
code. See your Workforce Timekeeper administrator for information specific to
your company.
Depending on your access rights, you might also be able to use historical edits to
enter, add, subtract, or move hours in a signed-off period.

Sending e-mail about timecards

You can access the companys e-mail system to send a message about a timecard without exiting Workforce Timekeeper.
1. Display the timecard about which you want to send a message and select
Actions > E-mail. The e-mail dialog box opens and includes:
The e-mail address of the person whose timecard you selected.
The employees name, ID number, and time period in the Subject box.

17

Managing timecards
2. Change the recipients e-mail (if necessary), enter a message, and send it.
After receiving the message, the recipient can log on to the system to access the
timecard.

18

Group editing

Group editing
Group editing expedites common tasks such as approval and sign-off from a
Workforce Genie. Depending on the system configuration and the complexity of
the group edit, it might take several minutes for the edit to be completed. After you
make a group edit, you can continue to work on the Workforce Central system.
When the system finishes processing the group edit, the system writes a
description of the edit and its status to the Group Edit Results log. To retrieve this
log, use the Group Edit Results link on the manager home page. The log shows
the last ten group edits that you made and the status of each, with the latest edit
listed first. If the edit has not been completed, its status is PENDING. Click
Refresh until the status is COMPLETED.
A status of FAILED may show if there was a problem with completing the group
edit and not all employees selected were processed. If a failure occurs, a link to
the failure explanation appears. You can follow this link to determine why the
employee(s) were processed but the group edit could not be applied.
The most commonly used group edits include:

Payroll lock
Sign-off
Add or delete hours

Move hours
Add punch
Delete punch

To make a group edit from one of the Workforce Genies:

1. Hold down the Ctrl or Shift key and select one or more employees. To
select all employees, select Actions > Select All.
2. Select an action form the following options:
Menu/Option

Result

Actions Menu
Select All

Selects all of the employees that are listed in the Genie.

E-mail

Opens the e-mail dialog box addressed to the person

selected from the Genie list.

Approve/
Remove
approval

Approves the selected timecard; after the timecard is

approved, remove the approval to edit the timecard.

Sign-off/
Remove sign-off

Signs off the timecard; after sign-off, use Remove sign-off to

allow edits. This may be restricted by the employer.

Sort table

Redisplay employees using other criteria.

Export to Excel

Transfers data to an Excel spreadsheet.

Export to CSV

Transfers data to CSV format, for use in other tools.

19

Group editing
Menu/Option

Result

Print

Prints the selected information.

When employees have questions

As a manager you will work with employees to help them understand their
interaction with timecards. The following table lists frequently asked questions,
subject to company policies, that should be included in on-site training for
Workforce Timekeeper:
Question

Training or solution

Locked
password

How many attempts are allowed before the logon is locked and
needs resetting; include the name of the system administrator
who can reset the password.

Reset a
password

Security procedures and the name of the system administrator

who can reset the password.

Cannot edit a
punch from a
previous pay
period

Explain approval and sign-off procedures and deadlines for

approving timecards; explain the process for resolving historical
edits.

Discrepancy in
accrued time or
paid time off

Run manager reports on the time or accrued item and compare

the results with the employees expectations; explain accrued
time policies and the limit of time carried forward each year.

Discrepancy in
weekly totals

Review timecards carefully before you approve them. Contact

the payroll administrator as soon as possible after you find a
mistake. Make sure that employees know the timecard approval
deadlines.

Viewing earnings Become familiar with the employee home page and whether this
history
option is always available.
Selecting the
appropriate pay
code

Note the pay codes that are used by your company; for holiday
and special events, broadcast the correct pay code; explain
when to use administrative or overhead pay codes.

Approval and
sign-off
procedures

Explain approval and sign-off procedures and deadlines for

approving timecards.

20

Group editing

When you have questions

Because the application is customized for the functions you need, you cannot
resolve every issue. Contact the timekeeping administrator to resolve the
following issues:
Correct a signed-off timecard.
Reset your own or an employees password.
Add a recent hire or transferred employee to your All Home list.
Investigate discrepancies in accrued time.
View accurate totals in real-time when, for example, you receive a message
indicating that the database is offline.
Enhance the Work & Absence Summary indicators.
Add someone to the authorized delegates list.

21

Automating vacation bidding

Automating vacation bidding

Your company may use vacation bidding, which is a process of notifying
employees of time off opportunities that correlate to scheduled work.
You can use the Bid Editor to send online requests to employees asking them to
submit bids for upcoming vacation time. The general procedure is:
1. Create a bid request, where you describe the type of bid (vacation), and
the period of time that is open for bidding.
2. Create one or more corresponding bid groupsthe groups of people
(grouped by seniority, for example) that you want to send the bid request
to. You specify when the bidding period opens and closes for each group.
3. Use the Send Request button to send the bid request to all the employees
in the bid groups. Employees receive the bid request in their My Bids area
and they also receive notifications in their Inbox or e-mail server (or both).
4. Approve or reject the bids that your employees submit from their My Bids
area. Those bids are listed in the Bid Editor when you open a specific bid
request. Employees receive automatic approval or rejection notifications.
5. After the bidding period closes and you have approved or rejected all
submitted bids, you then use the Post to Schedule button to update
employee schedules with the approved bids information. You can also use
the Export feature to view and manage the list of approved bids in
spreadsheet form.
When you view the main window of the Bid Editor, use the Posted Filter dropdown list to restrict which bid requests appear in the list:
AllDisplays all bid requests.
YesDisplays only the bid requests for which you posted all bids to the
schedule.
NoDisplays only the bid requests for which you did not post all bids to the
schedule.

Creating bid requests

To set up a bid request to which employees can respond:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Enter a name and description for the bid request.

Specify a request type: Vacation
Specify a pay code.
Specify the start and end dates for the period of time that is open for
bidding.
5. Click Save.
To add employees to the group, click Add People and use the address book to
select individual employees or a HyperFind list of employees.

22

Automating vacation bidding

Creating bid groups

To create a bid group:
1. From the Bid Editor, select a bid request and then click New Bid Group.
2. Specify a name for the bid group, a description, and a short notification
message about the bid request.
3. Specify the opening and closing dates for the bidding.
4. Specify the maximum number of bids that an employee can submit.
5. Click Add People and use the address book to select individual employees
or a HyperFind list of employees.
6. Click Save.
After you create a bid group, you can later make changes to it. For example, you
can change the opening and closing dates for the bidding or the maximum
number of bids. You can also click Add People and use the address book to select
or remove employees from the bid group.

Editing bid groups

To edit a bid group:
1.
2.
3.
4.

From the Bid Editor, select a bid request

Click Open.
Edit any of the fields as necessary.
Click Send Request.
Employees in all bid groups defined for the bid request receive notifications
in their Inbox or e-mail server (or both) and they receive the bid request in
their My Bids area.

Approving bids
Use the Bid Editor to approve or reject bids submitted by employees. If you
approve a bid, you can also post the approved bid to the employees schedule.
To approve or reject a bid:
1. In the Bid Editor, select a bid request.
2. Click Approve.
3. In the Bid Approval work area, filter the display of bids as follows:
Bid Group filterDisplays bids for all bid groups or for a bid group that
you specify from the drop-down list.
Approval filterDisplays all bids or only bids that have been submitted,
approved, or rejected.
4. Select a bid and then click Approve or Reject.
5. Click Save. The employee receives a notification about the bid.

23

Automating vacation bidding

Posting bids
After the bidding period has closed and you have finished approving or rejecting
all of the bids that were submitted, you can update the schedule with the new
vacation information by using the Post to Schedule function.
Note: You post the bids to the schedule only once, after all bids have been
approved or rejected. You cannot reverse this operation.

Updating schedules
To update the schedule:
1. In the Bid Editor, select a bid request.
2. Click Approve.
3. In the Bid Approval work area, filter the display of bids as follows:
Bid Group filterDisplays bids for all bid groups or for a bid group that
you specify from the drop-down list.
Approval filterFrom the drop-down list, select Approved.
4. Click Post to Schedule. A background batch process posts all the
approved bids to the schedule. The Posted column in the employees My
Bids list and the managers bid request list changes from No to Yes.
5. After you approve or reject all bids, click Save.
To post all approved bids to the schedule, select Post to Schedule. The approved
bids are posted to the schedule and all employees who submitted bids receive
approval or rejection notifications.

24

Using the Inbox

Using the Inbox

If the employer has established an internal mail system, business communication
and related tasks can be automated using the Inbox. The Inbox contains:
Messagesalert you to tasks that need to be completed.
Tasksbusiness processes that you are expected to complete. Acting on a
task automatically moves the task to the person or group who is next in line
to act on the task.
Each person in the process receives appropriate messages or tasks to perform as
the process moves toward completion.

Opening messages
To open and read messages:
1. Select Inbox > Messages.
2. At the top of your Timecard window, click Inbox.
3. Select the message from the list and then click Open on the Messaging
menu bar, or double-click the message.

Sending messages
To send a new message:
1. Click New on the Messaging menu bar. The New Message dialog box
appears.
2. Click the Address Book button and then use the address book to add the
message recipients. Or, enter the address in the To text box and click the
Check Name button to verify that the names that you entered are valid.
3. Enter text in the Subject field and Message fields.
4. If you want to receive a copy of your message, select the corresponding
check box.
5. Click Send.

Replying to messages
To reply to a message in your Inbox:
1. Select a message from the list and then click Reply on the Messaging
menu bar. The Reply Message dialog box appears.
2. To add more names to the reply, click the Address Book button and then
use the address book. Or, enter the address in the To text box and click the
Check Name button to verify that the names you entered are valid.
3. If you want to receive a copy of your reply, select the corresponding check
box.
4. Enter your reply and then click Send.
25

Using the Inbox

Note: You cannot reply to system notifications or to messages (from the
Messaging system) that you receive in the corporate e-mail system.

Deleting messages
To delete a message, select the message from the list and then click Delete on
the Messaging menu bar.

Printing messages
To print a message:
1. Select the message from the list.
2. Click Open on the Messaging menu bar. A separate dialog box appears in
the window.
3. Click Print.

Completing assigned tasks

To respond to tasks that have been assigned to you:
1. Click Inbox > Tasks.
2. Click Edit... and then fill out the form associated with the task.
3. Click Save & Close to submit the form and complete the task.

Reassigning assigned tasks

To reassign a task that is assigned to you to someone else:
1. Select the assigned task that you want to reassign to someone else.
2. Click Reassign.
3. In the New Resource drop-down list, select the person that you want to
reassign the task to.
4. Click Save & Close.

26

Using the Actions list

Using the Actions list

If the employer has established automated business practices, you may have an
Actions list for submitting online forms to initiate tasks, such as:
Requesting time off or canceling previously scheduled time off
Registering for training
Requesting scheduling changes (shift swaps, shift sign-up, and coverage)
Depending on the system configuration, you can view the Actions list in the
following ways:
Select My Actions.
If you are a manager, click Actions to initiate business processes that you
have access to.
Use the Categories drop-down list to select which Actions you want to view.
To initiate and submit the action:
1. In the list that is displayed in the My Actions or Actions work area, click the
type of request, or action.
2. In the process request form, enter the required information; for example,
information about a vacation bid request.
3. Click the Save & Close button to submit the request.

27

Managing time using calendars

Managing time using calendars

Calendars allow you to view an employees activity over a period of time in the
past, the future, or both past and future periods. The standard calendar is the
Work & Absence Summary.
Employees can use calendars to review past and planned hours worked, to
schedule or review time off, and to review and track attendance. Managers can
use calendars to review employees hours worked, to plan and review employees
requests for time off, and to review and track employees attendance. Calendars
may also reveal long-term employee trends. The colors and text attributes,
combined with the drill-down capability enable the manager to reference one or
more days, and continue to see more data.
The Work & Absence Summary is a generic calendar that can be duplicated or
modified. The system administrator configures the Work & Absence Planner and
other calendars and can explain how to access them.

Using the Work & Absence Summary

Arrange the calendar to your preferences:
Choose from three calendar views: by week, by month, or by multiple
months.
Display detailed information for any specific day. The type of information
that is displayed in a calendar depends on the calendars that are included
on your system and how the administrator has configured them.
If you are logged on as a manager, choose the individual calendar that
contains the employees of interest. Selecting a query from the Show list or
by using the Name & ID drop-down lists.
Modify the period of time by clicking the Time Period drop-down list,
choosing a time period, and clicking Apply. To choose a specific range of
dates, select Range of Dates from the drop-down list, enter the start and
end dates (or select them from the drop-down calendar), and click Apply.
Choose the time period width of each row in the calendar. Select Week,
Month, or Multiple Months, and then click Apply. If you choose multiple
months, the number of months is determined by your administrator during
the calendar setup process.
Use the Legend to learn the meaning of any color indicators.
Display information for a specific day by highlighting the day on the calendar
and then clicking Day Detail.

28

Generating reports

Generating reports
The Reports component provides predefined or standard reports. The system
extracts data from the database and formats it in rows and columns that can be
displayed, printed, or e-mailed. Your company may supply custom reports as well.
You can run a report in the following ways:
Select Reports or Advanced Reports from the home page
Select the Reports or Advanced Reports link on a Timecard or Genie
Depending on the report, you can:
Run and preview the report
Print or e-mail the report
Export the report to Microsoft Excel format (for e-mailed reports only)

Available reports
You can select from the following management reports on the Reports workspace:
Accrual Balances and ProjectionsDisplays the current balances, as
well as future takings, credits, and projected balance of the selected
employees, up to a specific date two years out. You can use this to
determine if an employee has accrued enough time for a vacation.
Accrual DetailDisplays running accrual balances for each employee. For
example, you can see what types of accrual transactions occurred in the
past, when accrual balances were reset, and effective dates.
Badge NumbersLists the badge numbers and the employee assigned to
each, including the activated and inactivated date if applicable. Employees
with no badge numbers do not display on this report.
Employee Schedule - MonthlyShows the schedules of the employees
whose home location is one of the selected locations. Employees are
sorted by job and shift labels are displayed. This report displays 28 days per
page and uses 8.5- x 14-inch paper.
Employee Schedule - WeeklyShows the schedules of the employees
whose home location is one of the selected locations. Employees are
sorted by job. This report displays seven days per page and uses 8.5- x 11inch paper.
Schedule by Labor Account - WeeklyShows schedules for the selected
labor accounts. Employees are sorted by labor account and shifts have a
start/stop time. This report displays seven days per page and uses 8.5- x
11-inch paper
Time DetailDisplays detailed data about each employees punches,
duration, and pay code edits. Summary data displays per employee show
totaled time and money by labor level and pay code (excluding combined
pay codes) and then just by pay code (listing combined pay codes
separately).
29

Generating reports
Timecard Audit TrailDisplays audit information related to specific
timecard actions including date/time of the action, who performed the
action, and what information changed. This report does not show the
timecard signoff and approval audit trail because this information is
provided in a separate report. Managers can filter this report by editing
manager or source of the edit, such as the timecard or a timekeeping
device.
Timecard Signoff/Approval Audit TrailDisplays audit information
related to signoff or approval of timecards including date/time and who
performed the action.

Running reports
Reports workspace
To run a report (non-advanced):
1. Access the Reports workspace, typically by selecting Reports from the
home page.
2. In the Categories list, select a report.
3. Click the Show drop-down arrow to select a query, such as All Home (the
managers employee group).
4. To view or change the query, click Edit, which opens the HyperFind
component. On the HyperFind page, you can view the details of the query
or edit the query. When finished, click the browser Back button to return to
the Reports workspace.
5. If the Specific Date dialog box opens, enter or select a date using the same
format that appears in the dialog box and click OK.
6. To change the time period, click the Time Period drop-down arrow and
select the new time period.
7. To change the report options, select a report, then select Set Options. You
can set the following options:
Specific report optionsReport options allow the report to filter on additional parameters beyond HyperFind or People so that you see only the
data that you want. Options that you can set differ for each report. For
example, the ability to select certain exceptions to appear on a report is
accomplished by using the Exceptions Report Option with the Exception
Report.
Available options appear in the Options list with the corresponding selections in the Details section. Refer to the list of reports to review the details
of each report.
E-mail FormatAdobe Acrobat is the default file format for reports. If you
are going to e-mail a report, you can change the file format to Hypertext
Markup Language (HTML), Microsoft Excel Document, Microsoft Word

30

Generating reports
Document, or Rich Text Format. You cannot change the report format if
you are going to view or print the report.
8. From the Select Reports menu, select Run Report.
Note: Standard reports are optimized for PDF format. If you choose to print in
another format, you may need to create a custom version of the standard report
so that the data is properly formatted.
9. Click the Check Run Status tab to monitor the status of the report; for
example, Waiting, Running, or Complete. Periodically click Refresh
Status to update the status.
10. When the report finishes processing, select Check Run Status > View
Report.
The system administrator can schedule reports to be printed or e-mailed.

ReportsAdvanced workspace
Note: Not all of the reports are available in the ReportsAdvanced workspace. If
the report you need is not available there, go to the Reports (non-advanced)
workspace.
To run an advanced report:
1. Access the Reports workspace, typically by selecting Advanced Reports
from the home page.
2. In the Categories list, select a report.
3. Click the Show drop-down arrow to select a query, such as All Home (the
managers employee group).
4. To view or change the query, click Edit, which opens the HyperFind
component. On the HyperFind page, you can view the details of the query
or edit the query. When finished, click the browser Back button to return to
the ReportsAdvanced workspace.
5. If the Specific Date dialog box opens, enter or select a date using the same
format that appears in the dialog box and click OK.
6. To change the time period, click the Time Period drop-down arrow and
select the new time period.
7. (Optional) Set any of the other options that appear in the right pane.
Report options allow the report to filter on additional parameters beyond
HyperFind or People so that you see only the data that you want. Options
that you can set differ for each report. For example, the ability to select
certain exceptions to appear on a report is accomplished by using the
Exceptions Report Option with the Exception Report.

31

Generating reports
Available options appear in the Options list with the corresponding selections in the Details section. Refer to the list of reports to review the details
of each report.
8. Click View Report.
Note: If you need to schedule a report to be printed or e-mailed, use nonadvanced reports.

Accessing reports using Genies

You can access reports for a set of employees using a Genie. Select the
employees and then click Reports or More > Reports > Advanced from the
menu bar. Depending on the report, follow the appropriate steps described above
for running it.

Printing reports
To print a report (non-advanced) after the report has been generated:
1. Select a report from the Categories list.
2. From the Select Reports menu, select Send to Printer.
3. In the Send to Printer dialog box, select a printer and click OK.

32

Delegating authority

Delegating authority
When a manager expects to be unavailable (for example, on vacation), a delegate
can be authorized to perform the managers tasks, using the Delegate Authority
function. These tasks can include approving timecards, accessing the managers
Inbox (Tasks and Messages), and using the managers Actions list during the
absence.
Delegating authority requires someone with administrative access to configure
the delegation environment. In the appropriate environment, the manager can
request a delegate and select the person to act as one from a list of delegates.
For example, the administrator can make all of the managers in an organization
available as delegates by assigning that profile to each of them.
In general, the person accepting the delegate role performs the same tasks as the
delegating manager. These tasks include:
Responding to messages.
Completing tasks.
Initiating or responding to actions that are assigned to the absent delegating
manager.
Some tasks may be restricted. For example, the delegate might be able to edit
and approve a timecard, but not perform a historical edit.
After the delegation setup is complete:
1. The manager identifies a delegate (listed on the managers Delegates
Data Access Profile) who can be authorized to act in the managers role.
2. The manager specifies a time period when the delegate will be authorized
to act in the managers role.
3. The designated delegate accepts or declines the request.
4. If the request is accepted, the delegate can switch roles and perform the
delegators tasks during the specified time period.

Enabling and requesting a delegation of

authority
To enable and request an individual to act in your role, do the following:
1. Click Actions on the home page tab menu.
2. Click Mgr_Delegation. The system displays the Action screen.
3. Select Create New Delegation, and click Next. The system displays the
Create Delegation screen, which includes any existing delegations.
4. On the Create Delegation screen, do the following:
Identify the individual who will act in your role by selecting a name from
the Delegate list. The names on this list are from the Delegate Data
Access Profile you have been assigned. If you do not find the individual

33

Delegating authority
that you want on the drop-down list, ask the administrator to assign you a
Delegate Data Access Profile that includes this person.
Enter the Start and End dates of the period that the individual will be
authorized to act as a delegate. The start time is 12:01 A.M. on the Start
Date, and the end time is 11:59 P.M. on the End Date.
Select the role that the delegate is assuming.
Click Save & Close.
The individual you selected must accept the request in order to act as the
delegate. A message is automatically sent to the designated delegate with the
delegation request, and mail is automatically sent to you when the delegate
accepts or declines the request.

Canceling or deleting delegation requests

You can cancel delegation requests that you have made. The process that you
use depends on whether the delegate has already accepted the delegation
request.
To cancel a delegation request that has not yet been accepted:
1. Click Inbox from the home page link, and select the Tasks tab.
2. Find the cancel delegation task item.
3. Select the item and cancel the delegation. When you do so, the Accept
Delegation task is removed from the delegates Inbox, and the system
sends an explanatory message to the delegate.
To cancel a delegation request that has been accepted:
1. Click Actions on the home page tab menu.
2. Click Mgr_Delegation. The system displays the Action screen.
3. Select the delegation that you are canceling.

Responding to requests
When a manager requests that you act as a delegate (that is, perform the managers tasks, such as approving timecards), a task is delivered to your Inbox.
Before you can act as a delegate and perform tasks in the managers role, you
must do the following:
1. Click Inbox on the home page tab menu, and select the Tasks tab.
2. Double-click the task item that has Accept Delegation as the subject.
The system displays the Accept Delegation dialog box, which contains the
following information:
The individual who made the delegation request (the delegator)
The time period during which you have authority to act in the delegators
role. You have this authority from 12:01 A.M. on the start date until 11:59
P.M. on the end date.
34

Delegating authority
The specific role of the delegator that you are assuming (some individuals might have multiple role profiles in the system).
3. Select either Accept Delegation or Decline Delegation.
4. Click Save & Close. The Accept Delegation task is removed from the
Inbox. In addition, a message is automatically sent to the delegator to
confirm that you have accepted or declined the request.

Switching roles
After you have accepted a delegation request, you can switch roles and perform
tasks as the delegator at any time from the start date until the end date of the
delegation period.
If you have not logged out of the system since accepting the delegation request,
log out of the system and log back in. When you log on to the system, the Switch
Role indicator always lists the role as Myself.
Note: If the Switch Role area is not displayed on the screen, it means either that
you do not have current delegation authority, or that you have not logged out and
back in to the system after having accepted delegation authority.
To perform tasks in the role of the delegator whose request you accepted:
1. Click Switch Role. The Switch Role dialog box is displayed.
2. Select the delegator whose tasks you want to perform.
3. Click Switch Role on the menu bar (not the text in the Switch Role
indicator area). The Switch Role indicator area is now colored red, and the
role of the delegator is displayed.
To return to your role, repeat steps 13, but select Myself in step 2.

35

Delegating authority

36